BootsnAll Travel Network



Life in a Mongolian Ger

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Terelgj National Park, an hour by car outside of Ulaan Baatar, is a spectacular valley surrounded by high eroded rock formations, pine covered mountains and steppes carpeted with sheep, Mongolian horses and perennial wild flowers. We are immediately taken by the tour company van to the ger (the word “yurt” is of Turkic origin that the Russians use) of an older Mongolian man who welcomes us with delicious yak butter on thin hard bread, two kinds of dried cheese and milk tea. We are told his wife is in Ulaan Baatar visiting a daughter who works for a mining company.

We walk behind a yak pulling a cart with our luggage up the side of a small valley to our ger which will be our home for three days. A ger is a round structure with a wooden lattice framework with long poles extending up toward the apex of the ceiling…all covered with layers of felt. Our ger sits on a cement platform covered with linoleum and carpeting. At the center is a hearth where the fire is considered sacred. The door faces south, men traditionally enter and walk to the west of the fire and the women to the east. At the north, opposite the door is the Khoima where valued objects like an altar for the Buddah and family pictures are kept. We have two beds with regular mattresses, one on each side of the hearth, a candle and small table. The mattresses and camel cloth blankets…”Gold Sheep Brand Wool En Bl Anket” all made in China.

It has snowed the day before and a young woman lights our fire in the evening and again, silently, about five in the morning. Our meals, are beautifully served in a large nearby ger.



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